Mask of Fire
by Wolves' Honor
Summary: She froze as the majestic creature stepped towards her."I was the one that named your ancestor, Lady of the Forest. Every Lady found their way to me and proved their right to hold the title. Do you think you are worthy enough to hold the title? Do you think you can take on every responsibility that comes with it?" "I have to be." "Then prove yourself." Elsa/OC; OC/OC; Anna/Kristoff
1. Burning Star

**Chapter One: Burning Star**

* * *

The fire batons spun behind the back of the fire-dancer known as the Burning Star. There was no hesitation in handling the wild element and no fear that the audience could see. In fact the fire-dancer's face, covered by a black half-mask with golden flame designs, was completely devoid of emotion. The sun-kissed shoulder-length brown hair was pulled back into a long red ribbon that brushed the fire-dancer's shoulders as she spun. The loose fitting maroon pants had golden embroidered flames and a matching vest was opened to reveal the toned stomach. A light grey almost silver wolf participated in the performance as well, catching thrown batons without so much as a word of instruction from its master. The audience was enraptured by their quick and graceful movements and many would later admit to wishing the performance had lasted just a little longer.

The fire almost seeming to take on a life of its own as the fire-dancer spun the batons skillfully. Trails of fire flowed through the air often weaving close to the fire-dancer's skin. The art of fire-dancing was known to be very dangerous and the dancer could hurt themselves and possible their audience if they were not careful. It took tons of discipline and practice to handle the fire and this dancer seemed to have years of experience. There was never a misplacing of hands or movement, despite the rapid pace. The Burning Star finished by throwing the batons and catching them, shifting the movement into a bow in which the flames of the batons promptly went out. The wolf dipped into its own bow as the audience applauded. None of them would have ever thought that a girl would have been able to put on such a performance.

Sasha collected the tin laden with coins as soon as her audience had dispersed and headed back for the troupe's ship. That was her last performance of the day and she was feeling a little overheated, not to mention uncomfortable in the vest that showed off her black bindings as well as her toned stomach. The captain of the ship took the money from her without so much as a thank you and sent her off below deck. Once there she changed out of her fire-dancer uniform and into a simpler outfit.

Most of the troupe had remained on board the ship, their specific talents not suited for street performances. Some were sleeping, others were taking, and one group of four was playing cards. Sasha joined the card players, waving away the offer of being dealt in.

"Where's Steel?" She asked, looking around for the strong man.

"He's helping the crew load supplies," An acrobat named Alyx answered, folding her hand. "What's the town like?"

"Busy, dignitaries are still arriving for tomorrow's coronation."

"It's Princess Anna that's getting crowned isn't it?" Alyx's twin sister, Filli, asked.

Sasha shook her head. "No, Princess Elsa is."

"Oh, I always get those two confused."

"It feels like a storm is coming," Zane suddenly said, tossing his cards - a winning hand - down.

"I agree," Tanya, another acrobat, said. "You feel it too don't you, Sasha."

"How could I not? The magic in this place is overwhelming; I really wouldn't be surprised if something were to happen tomorrow because of it."

"Why is there so much magic here?"

Sasha shrugged. "I don't know. Arendelle had always been home trolls, but it's never had very much magic."

"There's no point in worrying about it now," Alyx suddenly said. "I may not have magic like the rest of you, but I know that it's pointless to worry when you can't do anything about it."

Sasha glanced over at the silver wolf at her side. If only they could know why she did worry. . . The wolf, Sol, blinked at her before resting his head on his paws. Alyx was right though; there was nothing they could do. The storm Zane had predicted would not happen until tomorrow, of that she was sure.

* * *

Tomorrow night was more precise. Sasha had been sleeping along with the rest of the troupe when it had happened. A wave of magic woke her up immediately. She jolted into a sitting position. Zane and Tanya had also been awakened, their type of magic allowing them to sense magic. The three, after exchanging glances, stood and walked towards each other as not to wake the others.

"What was -" Tanya started before a stronger wave of magic caused all three to stumble.

That second wave was enough to cake over half of the troupe, more specifically those blessed with magic. The rest of the troupe was awakened a few seconds later by the loud creaking and cracking that began to rise up around the ship from the fjord. The temperature dropped quickly.

"Everyone stay calm," Sasha ordered over the top of panicked voices.

"What's going on?" Someone demanded.

"I'm not sure," She answered honestly.

"There's frost on the walls," Someone else shouted.

Soon everyone was on their feet and backing away from the spreading frost. An acrobat named Mason suddenly panicked and ran, slamming into the log door at the top of the stairs. His panic began to influence the others

"Everyone hold," She called out above the clamor, pushing her way through the crowd to reach the edge of the creeping frost.

She crouched down and ran her fingertips over it. It melted instantly at the touch of her skin, but not before she managed to get a read on the magic. She raised her hand and stared at the beads of water in awe. Clenching her hand, she stood up and turned to Zane.

"Take a reading on this."

"How am I supposed to do that? I'm not a contractor like you."

"I want you to tell me what emotion it has."

"It's frost."

"So?"

He shook his head and copied what she had done seconds before, only this time the frost did not melt. His eyes widened and he jerked his hand back.

"Fear, this ice is fearful."

"How is that possible?" Alyx asked.

"A Temp-" Sasha started when the door open with the sound of cracking ice.

"Up on your feet, slaves. We've been granted safe haven in the castle until this storm has blown over. And I better not see any funny business from any of you either."

Sasha hesitated for a moment before standing and sweeping past the other slaves with feral grace. Slaves, yes that was what they were and what they would remain for as long as they remained a group of cowards. Every last one of them was powerful, more powerful than these pirates that held them captive and yet they were all too afraid of death to fight for their freedom. Sol trailed at her heel as they left the ship. He had knew his companion as well as he knew himself, but even he could not see through the mask of neutrality she wore beneath her fire mask.

As they walked, Sasha kept her ears open to the whispers of the townspeople. Many had different accounts of how this storm had started, but they all had one thing in common. It was magic casted by the new Queen as she fled from the castle and Princess Anna had gone after her. One woman's story interested Sasha more than the others. The woman, cradling her baby to her chest, had spoke of the fear and desperation she had seen from the Queen. It lined up with the fear Zane had sensed in the ice and led Sasha to believe that the Queen had no control of her magic. If that was true then Arendelle definitely had a problem. Uncontrolled magic was the most dangerous magic of all. Sasha knew this better than anyone.

She slowed and fell back to speak with one of the other slaves, who went by the name of Derek. Murmuring quietly to him, she explained her request. He listened intently before nodding and casting the requested spell. No one besides him and Sol saw the black wolf that shot off into a nearby alley a second later.

The wolf's eyes gleamed bright amber as it darted through back streets and alleys. Muscles rippled under its silky coat and it seemed unaffected by the continually declining temperature. On reaching the town limits it sped up, angling towards the North Mountain and racing over a section of the frozen fjord.

* * *

The wolf slowed to a trot, ears flickering. The magic was strong in this area and had changed. It was wilder and uncontrolled, almost malicious even. It was if something had twisted the Queen's magic to serve some other purpose. Cursing at the dark color of its fur that stood out against the pale snow, it slowed even further. Something suddenly slammed into the dark wolf, sending it skidding onto its side. Growling, the black wolf rolled onto its feet and came face to face with another wolf. Only it wasn't just a wolf. It was built like a wolf and could easily be mistaken as such by those that did not know much about magic and the creatures that wielded it.

This was a wraith, a spirit of fear. It had twisted the Queen's magic; magic created from fear, and created a physical form for itself out of ice and snow. The black wolf snarled and leapt at its magical white counterpart. It stomped and tore into despite its attempt to fight back, reducing it into a pile of wet slushy snow. The wraith, freed from the confines of the snowy body, shot skyward away from the fiery wolf only to run straight into a light glyph that mirrored the one the wolf had drawn clumsily into the snow with the tip of its tail. Writhing and shrieking, the wraith dissolved under the magical light. Leaving the light glyph hanging above, the black wolf turned to give the same fate to the rest of the wraith/wolf pack, who had hoped to remain unnoticed and were unable to flee the circle of the light glyph. The only reason they were not dissolved by the light was because of their physical shells that the black wolf would take no time in destroying.

The black wolf fought like a devil, tearing into the snowy wolfs. The wolf radiated heat far stronger than any ordinary wolf and it was as much of a woman as her teeth and claws. One wolf made out of more ice than snow sank its icy teeth into her paw, holding on tightly as the black wolf clawed at it. It didn't release until the black wolf had completely destroyed it. The rest of the wraiths soon followed. Panting heavily, the wolf wiped away the light glyph and continued walking up the mountain with a slight limp.

Blood stained the snow behind it at it pressed on. Eventually the wound became too painful to walk on and it slowly sank to its belly. The still falling snow and the snow beneath began to melt, soaking its fur. Huffing once, the wolf stood, taking on its hybrid form.

Sasha brushed her uninjured hand through her hair, flattening her ears. She hoped Derek would be able to keep his illusion up until she returned, if he didn't, they would both be in big trouble. Shaking her head, she at her injured hand. The bleeding had not slowed at all and she had nothing besides the clothes she wore to bind it with. She brushed snow to the side, digging to the frozen ground beneath. Working quickly, she used her naturally high temperature to melt the snow and create a thick mud that she used to coat the injury. Doing so introduced the risk of infection, but it was the only way she had at the moment to stop the bleeding. Once she was sure that the mud had worked, she started running again.

She was still in her hybrid form when she came in sight of the ice palace. It was impressive, but the sharp angles and edges gave it a cold disposition. It contrasted against the light and graceful staircase that led up to it. Hesitating a moment, she reached out towards the magic that hovered around the magic. The tip of her tail flicked and her ears angled back. Fear was definitely controlling the magic and Sasha was reminded of one other time she had witnessed magic becoming uncontrolled. Her back twinged with a phantom pain at the memory and she shivered reflexively.

Exhaling a quiet sigh, she shifted into her full wolf form and started forward. The palace guardian stood with a bellow at her approach. She did not flinch having already senses the desperate urge to protect and defend that had been woven into his being. The guardian seemed confused when he saw that she was just an injured wolf. She was not human as he was ordered to defend against and yet he could sense her magic as easily as she could sense his. She halted a few feet away from the snow monster.

"Go away."

Ability to move without being directed as well as the ability of speech meant that this was a familiar and hosted a small piece of the Queen's soul. Familiars were the most complex magic to decipher and yet the easiest to make. Sasha moved closer the snowy familiar, more than a little curious. He seemed to take that as a threat as he lunged at her with a bellow. Taken off guard, her dodge was clumsy and she staggered before regaining her balance. She was ready for the next lunge and after dancing to the side she began to quickly draw a rune in the snow.

"Stop!"

Both of them froze at the call, Sasha in the process of drawing the last line. She lowered herself closer to the ground, ears flattening as the guardian sidestepped and turned to look at the Queen. She was beautiful. Her platinum blonde hair fell over her left shoulder in a single plait and she wore a dress made out of blue ice. An almost clear cape dragged on the ground behind her. She was also scared, stressed, and had absolutely no control over her magic.

Sasha tilted her head and carefully eased around the snow monster to the staircase. The first step melted slightly on contact and she stepped back with a quiet irritated whimper. Shuffling her paws, she let out a wolfish sigh and reduced her magic output, returning her body temperature to normal levels. She immediately fluffed her coat up, having not realized just how cold it actually was. This time the stairs didn't melt as she limped up them.

The Queen, Else, descended a few steps to meet her. She kept her frost coated hands close to her chest and was extremely careful to not brush against the wolf.

"You're injured."

Sasha tucked her paw back out of sight and leaned forwards to bump Elsa's knee with her nose. Elsa stepped back with a quiet fearful gasp. Sasha barked and sat down, tail curling over her paws. With every idea of what she was doing, she manipulated her own magic energy to brush against Elsa's. The intimate act caused the Queen to freeze (Pun was not intended), gasping softly at the foreign sensation. Her magic energy was controlled, but held a wild side that crackled and sparked like fire. There was more to it than just that, but Elsa with her lack of magical knowledge had no way of deciphering it. It did convey its message though; Elsa's magic would not harm her. Elsa hesitatingly lowered her hand towards the black wolf's head. She flinched as a warm pink tongue lapped at their tips. She held still as Sasha let out a soft rumble and pressed her head full into Elsa's hand.

* * *

Sasha sank her teeth into the crossbow arm of one of the Wesselton men that had chased Elsa into the big central room. A growl rumbled in her chest and her grip tightened as the men tried to shake her off. Blood filled her mouth, reminding her once again why she did not like fighting in wolf form. Finally the man managed to shake her off and delivered a kick for good measure. She yelped as the blow landed solidly on her ribs, driving her breath from her body.

Elsa, who had engaged with the second man, saw the kick and reacted instantly and created a wall of ice that slid towards him. Ice spikes rose up to trap her opponent against the wall, one spike stopping a hairsbreadth away from his throat. The bitten man braced his shoulder against the ice wall, trying to stop its advance. Unfortunately his boots could not find much traction on the ice and the wall forced him to slide back into the balcony doors. The doors buckled under the pressure as the ice wall slid out onto the balcony itself.

Sasha struggled to get back on her paws, but her earlier injury had reopened and she slipped. A man - Sasha had heard him called Prince Hans earlier- burst into the room. After taking in the scene, he slowly lowered his sword and spoke calmly to Elsa. Something about the prince set Sasha's teeth on edge and she once more tried to stand. Perhaps it was the false sincerity with which he spoke, something that would not have been noticed by most. Elsa did not hear the falseness and her guard lowered.

Seeing this, the Wesselton man trapped by spikes, raised his crossbow. Sasha barked in alarm and finally regained her feet as Han's yanked the man's arm up. The bolt struck the ice chandelier above Elsa and the large razor sharp object fell. Sasha lunged and slammed into Elsa, shoving her out of the way. The Shove caused Elsa to slip and her head bounced off the ice, knocking her unconscious. The chandelier crashed down on top of the black wolf and shatters sending ice shards, spinning every which way. The main body of the chandelier is mostly whole and beneath it lays the bloody body of the wolf.

The men left the wolf for dead at an order from Hans, and taking Elsa with them, they left her and the ice palace behind. If they had taken a closer look they would have seen that Sasha was not dead. Injured yes, but not dead. Pitch black armor covered her from head to tail and besides were a sharp side of the chandelier had torn through her armor, she had been protected from the full blow.

* * *

Sasha hissed and gritted her teeth as Alyx poured the alcohol over her injured hand. It stung and she shifted uncomfortably. A hand landed on her shoulder, holding her in place.

"Hold still."

She turned her head to glare at the female juggler that had spoken. Her name was Gertrude and despite her serious expression, mirth shown in her green eyes. She was quite obviously amused by the fact that the injuries she had occurred had been caused by ice. Gertrude prodded a cut on her back that was deeper than the rest. Sasha whimpered in response.

"Are you sure that you summoned your armor?"

"If I hadn't we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"Alright, no need to get snappy."

Filli joined them with a roll of bandages that she passed to her sister. 'Derek's exhausted."

Sasha looked towards the illusionist where he lay flat on his back. Derek had kept his illusion of her up the entire time she had been gone and after she had made the laborious trip back, he'd cast an illusion over her to hide her beat up sate from the pirates that had enslaved her. Convincing illusion magic took a lot of effort and power, and he had done so for a longer time period than he was used to.

"Let him be then."

Gertrude and Alyx finished bandaging her wounds and she slid forward to pull her shirt back on. Tomorrow's performance was going to be brutal and Derek was going to need to use an illusion to hide her wounds again.

"It's getting late and we were all up late last night as well. Everyone with a performance tomorrow needs to get some rest tonight."

"Aye, aye Cap'n," One of the slaves replied teasingly.

Sasha rolled her eyes before crossing over to where her blanket lay, farthest from the door. Despite what she had said, she was unable to find sleep. The youngest of their troupe, a five-year old named Lilly, had cuddled into her side and Gertrude lay behind her with an arm wrapped around her waist and their legs entwined. Sasha was kept awake by the knowledge that while the unnatural winter was over the trouble was not. Their enslavers were without a doubt interested in the magic of the Queen and as with all pirates they would find themselves compelled by their greed. Sighing, she closed her eyes. They would have to end this cycle, she decided before allowing sleep to claim her.

Unknown to her, she had not been the only one awake. Lilly shifted carefully and touched the edge of Sasha's mask. After a brief hesitation she dropped her hand to rest over the young's woman heart. White haloed her hand and the fire-dancer's wounds slowly began to heal, leaving behind only two silvery scars, one on her wrist and the other on her back. Lilly curled even closer to Sasha and allowed herself to return to sleep with a contented smile.

* * *

"Lilly healed you again," Alyx said, removing the now useless bandages.

"I thought so." Sasha replied with a soft quiet sigh. "I really wish she wouldn't."

"That girl love you like an older sister. You should try to be more grateful about that.

The two women looked up to see Gertrude and her mother, Fae. It was Fae that had spoken and her eyes shined with disapproval and concern. Fae acted as a mother to all of the young members of the troupe. She had no magic powers of her own and had only ended up on this ship because the pirates had wanted her daughter for her magic. She was one of the few people that completely understood Sasha's and Gertrude's more than friends but less then lovers relationship.

"I am grateful. I just don't want to take advantage of her abilities like those pirates do."

"Is it really taking advantage though when she chooses to do it willingly?"

"Alright, scum. Get up and get a move on before I have to come down there with my whip!"

Sasha's eyes hardened at the pirates shout. She sighed and stood to go get her uniform. Gertrude followed her and the two got dressed together. She hung the batons off her belt before hustling the rest of the day's performers up on deck to get their tins. She was consequently the last to get hers. As she turned to leave one of the pirates leaned forward to whisper suggestions into her ear that caused the other pirates that overheard to laugh and whistle. She gave the man a blank look before leaving.

* * *

Sasha had an even better turnout rate today than she had last performance. Everyone seemed to be craving a little extra warmth after the events of the Great Thaw as it had became known as. There was a crowd surrounding her before she'd even lit the batons. Holding the batons in one hand, she struck a match to light them. Once she began moving, she focused less on the crowd and more on what she was doing. Each move had to be perfectly timed or she'd end up burning herself or her partner. Sol was happy to bounce off her knee or back or jump over her to catch batons. He never complained about the heat that singed his nose and she never complained about his saliva that made handling the batons all the more dangerous.

A disturbance in the crowd caught her attention and she missed her baton. She'd done more than just miss it though; she hadn't even reached out to catch it. Sol covered for her mistake. He jumped off her knee and twisted to catch the baton, flipping it back to her. She recovered quickly and her audience wasn't even aware that a mistake had been made. The fire-dancer and wolf were lucky, a mistake like that could have resulted in one of them getting burned. She spun the batons even faster. The speed at which they moved seemed to weave a web of fire around her. She finished with her signature bow and held it a few second longer than she normally would before straightening.

Princess Anna was clapping excitedly along with the rest of the crowd while Queen Elsa watched Sasha curiously. The Burning Star had seemed so absorbed in her dance that Elsa had been surprised when the girl had bowed directly to her. She hadn't thought the girl had noticed her or her sister. The fact that she had, impressed her almost as much as the fire dance had. She was even more impressed when the girl did not show any emotion to Olaf walking up and announcing he liked warm hugs.

"I think my hugs would be a little too warm for you, little snowman," She stated, causing the cheerful snowman to laugh.

Elsa was surprised by the fierceness in Sasha's brown eyes when she looked back up at her. A faint frown flashed across her face, so quick that Elsa almost thought she'd imagined it.

Sasha took a deep breath before relighting the baton and starting a new dance. This cycle must end before another innocent soul was taken and it was her duty to end it. Fire traced a hidden glyph in the air with her movements and only a bird would have been able to see what the glyph was. This glyph was more powerful than the other glyphs she had used. It was glyph of strength, order, protection, love, commitment, and honor.

**Okay, here's the reedit of this chapter. There's a lot of changes, so I suggest you read the entire thing again. It's also longer than the first version. I'll also be deleting the previous chapters I have in order to start over. Unfortunately I'm really busy with school, so I won't be on fanfiction to update this story with any regularity. I do however plan on finishing this story.**


	2. Saving the Queen, Fighting for Freedom

**Chapter Two: Saving the Queen; Fighting for Freedom**

* * *

Sasha sat crossed-legged between Alyx and Gertrude with Lilly on her lap. The whole troupe sat in a circle, even the ones to small to understand what was going on. She had brought up the issue, but so far hadn't joined in the discussion.

"They go too far this time," Alyx stated.

"I agree, but it's not our place to interfere."

"Why not?" Filli chimed in her twin's defense. "If we can do something then we should."

This produced a whole other argument. The volume of their voices steadily grew louder until Sasha cleared her throat, catching everyone's attention.

"As you are all aware if one group acts to stop them then the pirates will punish us all, which is why everyone has to agree to take action before a plan can be made? I'm not saying you have to fight, but I am asking that you be willing to accept whatever punishment might come."

She paused and closed her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she reopened them and removed her mask. "There's more to it as well. If we succeed we'll have earned our freedom. The children can have an actual childhood and we could return to our homes if we so wished it."

"And what about if we fail?"

"If we fail we'll be punished, some of us might even be killed. If we fail there might never be a chance for anyone to escape ever again. But the chance of failure is only slim. The pirates are afraid of us and what's more their stupidity to have us perform has kept us fit. We have skills that even they can't imagine. This is also the best time to fight back. They'll attention will be focused on carrying out their plans and escaping."

Many members of the troupe exchanged glances. They were surprised to see the normally composed fire-dancer so fired up. She had even removed her mask which was something she almost never did. She held an air of confidence and determination in that moment that they could not help responding to. One by one they gave their consent for this rebellion to take place. Sasha smiled warmly and slid her mask back on.

"Then this is what we'll do."

They stayed up late into the night discussing their plan. Lilly fell asleep in Sasha's arms and as the other children drifted off to sleep, Fae quietly gathered them up. One of the pirates came down to check on them a little later, but left soon after. He could not understand the language that the troupe had made up to communicate to one another and so all he saw was them playing a large game of cards. If he had been able to understand what they were saying, he would have been highly offended by the phrase Steel said about the pirate's mother as he left.

* * *

Sasha tied the sash around her waist, making sure the loose end was in the back. It had been awhile since she'd worn these clothes. They were much more comfortable than her other performance clothes. The high-collar tunic and pants were the same style as her other outfit only black instead of maroon. The sleeves of the tunic were held tight against her wrists by golden cuffs, so they wouldn't accidently get in the way and catch fire. The sash had the same problem which is why it had to be tied in the back. She set her foot on the edge of a crate in order to tighten the straps of her boots. She normally did not wear boots, but the captain wanted them to look their bests for this performance.

There troupe had been hired as entertainment for the party that the Queen had thrown in order to make up for her coronation party. This party was welcome to everyone in Arendelle and it was said that the Queen would be showing her powers towards the beginning as well. The amount of money they were making for this party was more than the whole troupe could make in a month. Sasha was amused by the pirates' greed and slightly thankful for it because it had given them the perfect advantage.

She joined the other members of her troupe, checking them over. She flinched as something brushed the back of her neck. Fae whispered an apology as she fixed the ribbon in Sasha's hair.

"Everything is in place," She whispered in Sasha's ear before stepping back.

The pirates hadn't seen the exchange, to busy fussing over the fancy formal clothes that they found extremely uncomfortable. Sasha met the eyes of every single troupe member that would be participating in tonight's events. Their faces were grim, but they all managed to acknowledge her with a dip of their head. She straightened to her full height as the captain stopped in front of her.

"I better not see any funny business from you tonight, you damn demon," He nearly growled.

She did not respond and met his gaze evenly. He turned his back on her and her eyes narrowed venomously. She exhaled quietly and relaxed some as Sol nudged her hand. His fur had been washed thoroughly and a black and red color had been place around his neck. She lightly brushed the fur on his head to assure him that she was okay.

"Everyone's ready, Captain, sir."

"Let's go then."

Sasha fell in step beside Alyx and Filli as they left the ship. Steel followed behind them, his bear like build looming over their shorter forms. His presence was that of a protector and all three girls were thankful for it.

* * *

Sasha was dancing one of the quick fire dances that required both speed and endurance. She was using all the tricks she knew in this performance. Filli and Alyx were doing their own routine with several others across the way from her. The acrobats were almost as fast as her in their own performance and she kept an eye on them. Sol jumped off her back to grab one of the batons and kept hold of it as she spun the other one around her body. He jumped of her knee next, dropping the baton mid-leap. She caught it effortlessly and shifted into a more complicated set. A smile hinted at the edge of her mouth before disappearing as she caught sight of the captain talking to the queen.

A sudden shout caught her attention and she saw Filli tottering on top of the acrobats pyramid. She fell to the alarm of the crowd only to be caught by Steel, who had already finished his performance. It was one of the tricks that the acrobats liked to play on their crowd. Filli kissed Steel on the cheek before flipping out of his arms and running back to the other acrobats. Sasha, realizing it was probably time for her own performance to come to an end, shifted into the last part of her performance. Sol held onto one of the batons, so should could free a hand. The rippling pillar of flame shot into the air, bringing gasps from her audience. Fire breathing was probably the most dangerous stunt to do and she'd executed it perfectly.

It was a relief for her performance to be done. The three pirates that had been in charge of watching over her and Steel escorted them back to the ship as soon as the crowd was done cheering for Sasha. As soon as the slaves were safely delivered to the ship they returned to the party. Fae greeted them, eyes shining brightly as she realized how close they were to the final performance.

"Are you ready?"

"Let's do this."

* * *

"I must admit I was a bit surprised that you hired us, Your Majesty. We've never done something like this before especially for a royal"

"That surprises me, they're really skilled."

Elsa took the glass of champagne that the captain proffered to her. She did it mainly to be polite because she really didn't care for alcohol. She didn't see the smile that spread across the pirate captain's face as she took a sip. They were out on one of the balconies hidden from the crowd within. For Elsa is had been stifling and she had the slight worry that her powers might act up.

"That is why I took them in. Their abilities make quite a profit, more than regular performers. Of course you'll find that out for yourself soon."

The champagne glass slipped from Elsa's hand as she suddenly grew faint. The captain smiled and whispered quietly to her as she collapsed.

"Have a nice rest, Your Majesty.".

* * *

Sasha and Steel kept a close eye on the unconscious pirates as Derek picked the lock on the door. He had been a thief before the pirates had captured him and his talents had gone unused for a while. He cursed under his breath at the lock's stubborn refusal. Alyx, Filli, and Tanya were keeping an eye out on deck and every so often came to see what was taking so long. They were supposed to be on a schedule and had already fallen behind.

"Got it," He declared triumphantly, pulling the door open.

"Shit!"

Sasha and Steel exchanged glances at the curse. Alyx ran over to them, having been the one to cuss.

"They're early."

"Damn it."

"What now?"

Sasha ran her hand through her hair in irritation, yanking the hair tie and ribbon out. She bit on the inside of her cheek thoughtfully and then nodded her head. She turned to Derek.

"Get some of those weapons passed out to those without active magic," She ordered and then turned back to Alyx. "Get Filli to whip some wind up and send Tanya to give all the guards another dose of sand."

"What would you have me do?" Steel asked.

"You come with me."

"Wait," Derek said and then rustled through the army, pulling out three very familiar objects. "You should have these back.

Sasha nodded and took the claymore, sword hilt dagger, and light pen that were held out to her. The claymore had once belonged to her mother and had been passed onto Sasha. It was a special weapon, one that she had not and was still not worthy enough to wield. The sword grew cold and heavy, reminding her of this fact when she closed her hand over the hilt as if to draw it. She removed her hand from the hilt and it returned to its original temperature and weight. With slightly shaky hands she strapped it to her and slipped the dagger and light pen into her boot. She waved for Steel to follow her.

She had hardly taken three steps when Fae stopped her. The older woman smiled softly and took the ribbon and hair tie still in Sasha's hand. She tied the others hair back into a ponytail and then wrapped the ribbon around the hilt of the claymore, careful not to directly touch the blade. She didn't say anything after that and merely stepped aside. Sasha smiled at her and then went on her way. She stopped at the center mast and tapped it slightly.

"I want you to knock this down. If something were to go wrong the pirates might still be able to sail off even with Filli's wind, but if this is taken out they won't get very far."

"No problem."

"After that we're gonna stop the pirates from boarding."

The big man nodded and Sasha moved to stand out of his way. Steel cracked his knuckles as he took a few steps forward. His skin turned silver as if made of metal and the punch to the mast rang like metal on wood. The wood protested under the blow and Sasha smiled. Three more punches was all it took to take it down and send crashing to the deck, taking out the railing before the heavy sail pulled it over the side into the water.

"Good man."

"That's why they call him the metal golem," Alyx said, joining them and swinging a saber.

"Let's go," Sasha ordered and the others followed her off the ship and onto the dock.

A couple more people joined her on the dock, watching quietly as the pirates appeared out of the darkness. They had obviously heard the demise of the main mast as they had weapons pulled and were running for the ship. One man had Queen Elsa thrown over his shoulder. Sasha tapped Steel's arm, pointing out the man. The metal man nodded once and charged down the dock, Sasha at his heels. Steel plowed through the first line of men effortlessly. The man Sasha had pointed to tried to dodge the punch and was surprised when the larger man spun, kicking him in the knee instead. Something snapped with an audible crack and the man howled in pain as he dropped Elsa. Sasha caught her before she could hit the ground and fell backwards into the line of slaves that had joined them. Magic flowed freely through the air and the pirates quickly found themselves being overwhelmed. Fae dropped to her side, a vial clasped tightly in her hand.

"You know, I must admit I'm a little surprised. Did you plan this all by yourself, Satyana?" The captain waded through the fighting unchallenged, smirking when her grip tightened on the unconscious Queen. "When did you get to be so much like my sister?"

Elsa groaned and slowly opened her eyes as Fae waved the vial under her nose. The smell was potent and Sasha let out a quiet whimper as it stung her own sensitive nose. Elsa blinked up at the masked woman in confusion, slightly entranced by her smoldering amber eyes.

"I've always been like my mother, you were just too stupid to notice, Uncle." Sasha said emotionlessly, dropping her hand to the dagger in her boot.

"Is that so? Well either way, this little rebellion is about to end, Satyana."

"Tanya, go!"

The acrobat took off in the direction of the castle, lithely jumping over a pirate that tried to grab her and sprinkling a little golden dust on his head. The pirate yawned once and collapsed. The Sandman raced towards the castle unimpeded. The captain sighed and shook his head before continuing forward. He picked up a sword that someone had dropped in the fighting.

"Fae, take care of Her Majesty."

"What are you going to do, Sasha?"

Her amber eyes hardened into golden flint as she stood, dagger in hand. "What I must?"

Leaving Elsa in Fae's care, she engaged her uncle. Her dagger didn't have the reach that his sword had and he was far more skilled than her, but what she lacked in skill she made up in speed, ferocity, and determination. She also had Sol's assistance. Just like in a fire dance they moved well together. It was the silver wolf's help that made all the difference. Sol clamped his jaws around the pirate's sword hand, causing his sword to clatter to the ground. Pressing the advantage, she backed him against a wall and set her dagger to his throat.

The fighting was almost over when the castle guard arrived on the scene, led by Tanya and followed by the Princess. In that instance she let her guard down and the pirate captain made his move. Her dagger fell as he pushed her back and she landed on her rear gracelessly, hand pressed against her stomach He slashed at Sol with a dagger that had been up his sleeve, drawing blood on the silver wolf's muzzle. The soldiers were on him before he could get much far. Sasha pushed herself to her feet, gritting her teeth.

* * *

"Are you alright?"

Elsa was faintly aware of responding, but wasn't sure how. She was still feeling a little dizzy and confused. How had she gotten on the docks and why were the performers she'd hired fighting against the captain of their ship? As she watched the fight she remembered what the captain had said to her before and finally began to understand what was going on. She had been drugged by the captain, of that she was sure of, but everything else was only speculation.

"What's going on?"

The women next to her explained with a grim face. She told Elsa how the captain and his crew were pirates, which had kidnapped people with powers similar to her own. They'd treated these people as slaves, forcing them to use their skills to perform and earn money that went to directly to the pirates. She then explained that this was the reason why Elsa had been kidnapped and that the masked girl, Sasha, had rallied the group of slaves to come to her defense.

Elsa was relieved when the castle guards showed up. Even though the slaves had been doing a wonderful job of protecting her, she felt more at ease now that her actual guards were here. The guards quickly apprehended the pirates.

Sasha stood up from where she'd been pushed by the pirate captain, the man Elsa was sure she's heard the girl call 'Uncle'. When she'd woken up she'd been surprised to find the girl hovering over her, but not as surprised as she was, when she'd noticed the girl's amber eyes that had been so similar to that black wolf's.

She was watching the girl so intently that she was the first to notice the way she never fully straightened up and how her hand was pressed against her stomach. She was however not the first to respond. Another girl, who resembled the woman at Elsa's side, cried out the girls name as she swayed and barely managed to catch her as she fell. Elsa could see the red blood that coated the tan skin of Sasha's hand. She had been stabbed.

* * *

_"Satyana, Satyana, wake up."_

_"Go away, Nea."_

_"But the wolves are howling, so we can't sleep."_

_"Try."_

_"Hey, Satyana. Do you want to dance?"_

_She sat up with a smile, facing her younger brother and sister. Ryn grinned and both children grabbed her hands, pulling her from the bed. Their bare feet slapped against the stone hallway. Sol, the fluffy dark grey wolf pup, ran after them, tiny tail wagging like a whirlwind. As their mother's wolves raised their voices to the moon, the children danced in the Great Hall._

_"What's going on in here?"_

_"We were just dancing," Ryn said, as his sisters looked down at the floor guilty._

_"Is that so?" Their mother's stern expression was replaced with a smile. "May I join you then?"_

_The children beamed happily. Satyana grabbed her mother's hand in answer, grinning broadly._

* * *

Sasha jolted awake, a sharp pain in her abdomen and tears stinging her eyes.

**This is a triple update by the way, this chapter and the previous plus the next one.**


	3. Moving Ahead

**Chapter Three: Moving Ahead**

* * *

Sasha stares at the ceiling blankly. She doesn't know where she is and she doesn't really care either. All she does care about is that she is alone except for the sleeping wolf lying across her legs. Her dream continues to haunt her and no matter how many times she blinks the tears away they come back. Memories like that one had once been happy ones, but now just serve as a reminder of everything that had gone wrong. Taking a deep breath, she reached up to brush her bangs out of her face and froze. She sat up quickly only to relax when she saw her mask laying on the nightstand next to the bed. She would not have forgiven herself if she had lost it.

She lay back down, wincing at the pain in her stomach. Sol lifted his head sleepily, woken by her movement. He stretched forward and licked her hand. She petted the fur between his ears in response, staring at the ceiling again. The door clicked open. She raised her head slightly to see Fae and a servant enter.

"You're awake," Fae said in surprise.

Sasha hummed in response and pulled herself up, so she was propped up by the pillows. Sol settled his head back in her lap with a quiet huff. Fae and the servant, who introduced herself as Gerda, rebandaged her wounds before Gerda left to get food for her.

"So we were successful I take it."

"Yes and it's all because of you, Sasha."

Sasha did not respond, reaching out to pick up the mask from the nightstand. "How much do you know about my past?"

"Not much, just that the mask belonged to your mother," Fae answered honestly.

"That's not entirely true." Sasha ran her thumb over one of the eye holes. "The mask my mother wore was actually pitch black and had once belonged to her mother, my grandmother. This mask was made by my mother when I was six, but she didn't give it to me until I was thirteen."

"Three years before you joined us."

"And a year to the day before my mother died."

"You've had a tough life," Fae said.

Sasha shrugged and then changed the subject again. "Who left to go back home?"

"I think it's easier to answer who did not. My daughter was furious that they left before you were awake."

"I do not blame them for leaving, nor should she. Who has remained?"

"The twins, Steel, Tanya, Max, Zane, Lilly, Gertrude, and myself."

"I'd think Maxwell would be the first to leave."

"I thought so to, but it seems he found a reason to stay among the castle staff."

Sasha snorted and rested her head against the headboard. She was glad to see that the people she considered family had stuck around.

"Also the queen has offered us a place in the castle until we can get back on our feet."

"That's nice of her."

"I think her little sister had to do with the decision though. She's getting along with the others quite well especially Lilly."

Sasha was quiet for a few seconds before she spoke again. "Who's going to leave now that I'm awake?"

"No one." Sasha tilted her head until Fae elaborated. "None of us have anywhere left to go, so we thought we'd just stay where you are. We are a family, even if not by blood."

Sasha looked away and closed her eyes. She considered them family, but to hear that they felt the same way made her both happy and sad at the same time. Having a family did not seem to be something she was good at. Fae smiled and set her hand on Sasha's arm. The door suddenly slammed open, causing both former slaves to flinch and Sol to jump to his feet with a growl.

"Oops, sorry."

"It's alright, Princess, although I think you might have dented the wall," Fae said, her startled expression replaced with an amused smile.

"Oops," Princess Anna repeated sheepishly.

Sol let out an irritated snort and flopped back across Sasha's legs. Sasha kept her confusion and amusement -as well as her annoyance with Sol- from showing as the Princess of Arendelle walked towards her and promptly tripped on the edge of the shaggy rug. She bounced right back to her feet as if it was no big deal and held her hand out to Sasha.

"Hi, I'm Anna."

"Sasha," She answered, taking the girl's hand and instantly regretted it as her fingers were crushed in the strong handshake.

Fae's hand flew up to her mouth to suppress a giggle. Sasha noticed, Anna did not.

"I've heard a lot about you …"

Sasha listened in bemusement as the princess started asking her questions much faster than she could answer. Fae owns amusement increased as she continued. She was practically in tears as she struggled not to laugh. Sasha was grateful when Gerda returned, cutting Anna off mid-interrogation. The servant gentle shooed Anna from the room and the girl said goodbye before running off down the hall.

"She's full of energy," Sasha stated.

"Yep," Fae agreed.

* * *

"Ow," Sasha complained as Filli and Alyx grabbed her in a hug.

The twins apologized as they released her. It had been two days since she'd woken up and she'd finally been given permission to leave her room with the promise that she wouldn't do anything to reopen her wound. Fae and Anna had been the only company she'd had and while Anna was full of energy, Sasha had still been bored. Steel put a hand on her shoulder gently before stepping back so Gertrude could hug her. She pressed a kiss to the fire-dancer's cheek before holding her at arm's length.

"Don't ever do that again."

"I promise not to let my crazy pirate uncle stab me again," Sasha responded seriously.

Gertrude tried and failed to hide her smile, provoking a smile from the other. Lilly lightly tugged on her shirt sleeve. Sasha crouched down to the young girl's height, so she could hug her. The hug hid how Lilly's palm pressed against her wound gently as she used her powers. She did not heal the wound, but she did lessen the pain somewhat. It had been decided before they'd even fought the pirates that the young girl's healing magic was to be kept secret. Healers were rare and often easy to abuse.

"So has it dawned on you yet that we're finally free," Alyx asked.

Sasha straightened up. "It has, although, I'm not quite as free as you'd think."

"Right because of your mysterious past that you don't want to talk about."

Her eyes darkened as she looked at Alyx. Zane settled a hand on Alyx's shoulder warning her to back off. Sasha might be excellent at hiding her emotions, but she could not hide them from the empath. He could feel her anger and sadness and he knew Alyx confronting her wouldn't help. The tense silence was broken by the arrival of a certain cheerful princess. Gertrude leaned forward to whisper in Sasha's ear as the others attention was pulled away.

"Promise me you won't hide behind your mask forever."

"I don't make promises that I can't keep," She said without looking at her ex.

Gertrude sighed and let Sasha be, joining her mother. Lilly looked up at Sasha curiously. The older girl sighed quietly. Sol nudged her hand with a whimper, offering her what little comfort he could.

"I'm okay, Sol. I'm okay."

The silver wolf leaned against her leg with a quite huff. Sol would be by her side no matter what and that knowledge was more comforting than anything else. He knew the reason behind her silence and he understood what the others could not. He knew the ghosts that haunted her.

"I'll be okay," Sasha murmured.

* * *

_Well, this is awkward._ Sasha clasped her hands in her lap in order to refrain from her nervous habit of rubbing her fingertips together. Elsa seemed to feel the awkward tension as well, but was just as good as Sasha at hiding it. She had invited the fire-dancer into her study to formally thank her for the rescue, not considering the fact that the conversation would only take a couple of minutes. Now the two of them sat on opposite sides of the desk in complete tense silence. Elsa cleared her throat suddenly, clasping her hands atop her desk.

"Do you mind me asking what your reasons for rescuing me were?"

Sasha looked up, head tilted slightly. She hummed thoughtfully and leaned back. After a few minutes of contemplation she answered the question.

"I was raised to protect others, Your Majesty. I haven't always been the greatest at doing so, but I try my best. I am only human after all."

Elsa was quiet for a moment, considering her savior's words. Said by anyone else it would have had just a simple meaning, but the way this woman said it made it seem as if it had a much deeper meaning than Elsa could understand. She had talked with many confusing people, but none as confusing as Sasha. A knock on the door, pulled Elsa from her thoughts, leading to the realization that she had been quiet for far too long. A faint blush spreads across her cheeks as she looked away towards the door. Out of the corner of her eye she sees Sasha slight smirk and her blush deepens in response.

"Enter," She called, forcing herself to seem the regal queen she is despite the pale blush staining her cheeks.

Kai entered with a pile of paperwork and glancing between them considered leaving again. Sasha stood, excusing herself politely. She paused in the doorway and glanced back over her shoulder.

"Your Majesty, if I may give a suggestion about my uncle and his crew."

"Go ahead."

"Execute them immediately. They don't deserve mercy." After that declaration, she only hesitated for a second longer before leaving, closing the door behind her.

Elsa thanked Kai for the paperwork before dismissing him. She sat staring at the seat across from her desk, considering what Sasha had said. There had been no malice in the suggestion despite the harsh wording. And that's when Elsa realized the truth. Sasha had made the suggestion in order to protect others and not for herself. It was strange. But stranger than that, how was it that the woman's eyes kept changing colors? She knew she had not imagined the amber color she'd seen before, but Sasha's eyes had definitely been brown. Sighing, she shook her head and looked at the paperwork Kai had brought in.

* * *

Sasha sighed as the door closed behind her. Sol looked up from where he lay across the hall out of the way. He padded to her side and followed her as she went to find her friends. She found them in one of the gardens with Anna. They were trying to teach Anna to play football (Soccer). It had been a long time since any of them had played the game. She would have joined them if it wasn't for her wound, so instead she sat next to Fae and Lilly, who were sitting on bunches out of the way. Looking at the colored band wrapped around the players' arms she was able to figure out the teams. Alyx, Filli, Steel, and Max were on the blue team while Gertrude, Anna, Tanya, and Zane on the red team. It was rather unbalanced as the blue team had a complete trio on their side. Alyx, Filli, and Steel were known as the Demon Trio because they had speed and strength a deadly combination that every goalie should fear. The only thing that could ever stop their victory was the team of Gertrude, Zane, and Sasha, who had been nicknamed the Terrors. Gertrude and Zane may have been able to stand against the other team if it wasn't for Anna. The princess while very energetic was a hazard do to her clumsiness.

"They're not using their abilities," She remarked, sitting next to Fae.

"No, Zane thought it wouldn't be fair. Especially since its Anna's first try."

"They should've picked teams differently if they wanted it to be fair."

"Probably," Fae agreed with a smile as Zane abandoned the goal in order to avoid the ball that Steel had kicked.

Sasha watched for several more minutes before interjecting, "Steel switch with Gertrude."

The big man nodded as the twins complained. Gertrude smiled at Sasha as they switched places and arm bands. The teams were a lot more balanced after that, but even with the addition of Steel, the red team was still losing. Sasha narrowed her eyes as she saw Filli running to intercept Anna, who was closing in on the other goal clumsily. She grabbed one of the biscuits from the basket in Fae's lap, causing the older women to frown. Checking the weight of the golden pastry, she deemed it suited for her needs.

Filli cursed in surprise, whipping around to face Sasha. She'd managed to catch the pastry after it bounced off her shoulder, saving Sasha a tongue lashing from Fae for wasting food. Filli's shout distracted Max, allowing the poorly kicked ball to soar into the goal. Anna cheered happily at her first goal obliviously. Filli threw the biscuit back at Sasha, who caught it and ate it. She smiled mischievously, provoking a smile from the angry girl. A genuine smile from Sasha was so rare that Filli couldn't stay mad. She turned her attention back to the game.

Lilly tugged on Sasha's sleeve a few minutes later. The young woman allowed the young girl into her lap. She was carefully not to cause Sasha any pain or discomfort as she settled back into her arms. Fae smiled at the sight of the young girl with the young woman.

"Have you thought about adopting her?" She asked curiously.

"Adopting her?" Sasha repeated turning to the older woman in shock. "Why would I do that?"

"She needs a mother and she's more attached to you than anyone else.

"But what about her actual parents?"

"We don't even know if they're alive. Chances are they died in that raid."

Sasha looked down at Lilly with a thoughtful expression. The young healer looked between her and Fae before smiling up at them with a quiet giggle. The two women smiled in response and Sasha tousled her hair affectionately.

* * *

They had finished their game, a victory to the blue team and were now taking a much needed breather. Anna had taken a seat on the bench next to Fae while the others sat on the ground around them. She had a natural curiosity and had been asking questions of the troupe about their lives before. Eventually she ran out of questions to ask the others and switched to Sasha.

"Where were you born, Sasha?"

Sasha hesitated briefly before answering, "The Northern Isles."

"What's it like there?"

Sasha was a little surprised that Anna did not makes a connection between the Northern Isles and the Southern Isles, but answered Anna's question anyways.

"It was pretty green most of the time and it was always cold except for in summer and even then it didn't get very hot. What I most remember is the area surrounding my home though. The trees were so tall and green even when it snowed and if you went far enough into the forest you could see the waterfalls. It was so beautiful especially when the water froze."

Fae was surprised by the wistful tone in Sasha's voice and upon looking at the others of the troupe she saw that they heard it as well. Sasha was open in answering Anna's questions, even the ones about her family. She did not however reveal any of the events from the past that were not happy, which only seemed to make the mystery around her grow. There was only one question that Sasha did not answer because Gertrude answered it for her.

"What powers did the pirates kidnap you for?"

"Sasha wasn't taken because of powers or abilities. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"That's not completely true," Sasha corrected without elaborating. "But to answer your question, Anna, I'm a Contractor."

"Contractor?"

"Yes, here let me show you."

Sasha pulled her light pen from her belt. Anna watched curiously as she tapped it against her palm a couple of times. The tip of the pen made out of a small red gem started to glow much to Anna's delight. That delight grew as Sasha began to draw in the air. Light flowed from the end of the pen, hanging in the air like thin ribbons as she drew a glyph. It wasn't a glyph any of the other mages recognized, but that was to be expected as a Contractor's glyphs reflected the state and will of the soul, mind, and body. The glyph hovered in the air after Sasha was finished drawing it. She then picked a dry leaf out of the grass and crumpled it up in her palm before blowing the leaf bits through the glyph. It emerged through the other side perfectly whole and a bright vibrant green. Lilly giggled and caught the leaf in her hands as it fell.

"How did you do that?" Anna asked, wide-eyed.

"Contractor's can cast almost any magic through drawing glyphs," Zane answered.

"This glyph is known as a rejuvenation glyph," Sasha answered, before slashing her hand sideways through the red lines, dispersing the glyph. "Anyone can draw glyphs, but Contractors are people who have a natural aptitude for drawing glyphs and/or are born into a family that use glyphs."

Before Anna could ask another question, a servant came to inform them that dinner was ready. Anna happily led the way back to the castle. Sasha trailed behind the group and Gertrude fell back to walk with her.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Sasha answered, face carefully blank.

"I don't think Anna realized that you were being deceptively vague on purpose."

"I revealed more to her in one day than I ever revealed to the others in the few years we spent together."

"I'm not saying it's a bad thing. Although you could stand to reveal a little more."

Sasha did not respond. Gertrude suddenly stopped walking and stepped in front of her, forcing her to stop. "They're not going to hate you, Sasha."

"Maybe not at first."

"I know the truth and I'm not afraid."

"Because you're an idiot," Sasha retorted and went to step around her.

Gertrude caught her arm. "I'm fine with being an idiot if it means I can still stay by your side."

"When did you get to be such a helpless romantic?"

Gertrude smiled in response and kissed Sasha's cheek. "I still love you."

The fire-dancer smiled to herself as Gertrude left to catch up with the others. She could honestly say she was still in love with Gertrude as well. They were a couple that just did not work together as anything more than friends. And they were both okay with that. Sasha started walking again feeling more lighthearted than she had for a long time.

* * *

Sasha carefully washed the soot from her hands, listening to the blacksmith's praises over the completed sword on his anvil. It had been three months since she'd first come to Arendelle and she had quickly become liked by the castle staff. As soon as her wound had fully healed, she had went to Kai and asked if there was any work she could do. He had informed her that as guests of the castle the troupe did not have to work, but she'd insisted anyway. Her troupe had been quick to follow her example of working to pay for their room and board. She had been discovered as a master of odd jobs and a relatively quick learner in crafts that she had no previous knowledge in. She was found to be especially skilled in smithing.

However, the work that she did was kept quiet from the Queen and Princess at her request. It could not be kept from Anna's beau, Kristoff, though. He had found out when he had taken Sven to the stables and she'd been helping a stable hand with re-shoeing the horses. There had been threats made that no man could ignore. They hadn't been made by Sasha though, but by Sven. For whatever reason the reindeer seemed quite taken with the fire-dancer at first, more so than he'd been with Anna at first.

Sasha said goodbye to the blacksmith before leaving the forge. She would have stayed a little longer if it wasn't for her appointment with Lieutenant Thane. The lieutenant had offered to train with her and to teach her how to use her claymore. She'd refused the teaching offer, but accepted the training. She knew how to fight, but after so long of disuse her skills had suffered for it. Perhaps after she was able to draw the claymore from its sheath she would accept his offer to teach.

He was practicing his own skills when she arrived on the training field. He went through the movements slowly with his eyes closely, simply allowing them to flow smooth and naturally. Sasha watched him for a minute before drawing a practice sword from the rack of weapons. The metallic sound alerted him to her presence and he shifted through a downward stroke before turning to her.

"You're late."

"I was helping the blacksmith," She replied, stepping across from him.

"Then its best if we go straight to the sparring," He replied, taking a stance. "Whenever you're ready."

She circled to his left, causing him to turn as well. He halted though when she tried to place the sun in his eyes. Giving up on tricking him into, she angled her dulled blade catching the sunlight and reflecting it in his face. He winced and she attacked. He parried the blow and countered, quickly put her on the defensive. She side stepped and dodged his attacks only using her sword to redirect his strikes and never to block. She wasn't physically strong enough to block his attacks.

Sasha yelped as the pommel of his sword struck her collarbone, sending her stumbling back. She tightened her grip on her own sword, eyes narrowing dangerously. Her speed picked up and she counter attacked, forcing him to hastily block. After a few more minutes he called a halt.

"You've improved a lot since you first started."

Sasha dipped her head in acknowledgement and returned her sword to the weapons rack. His next words made her hesitate.

"Have you considered joining the Guard?"

"Not really," She said and then stared into space thoughtfully.

"You should consider it," Thane said, pulling her back to the present. "You have the skill for it, not to mention that you've already shown yourself to be willing to throw yourself in danger for the Queen."

"I'll think about it," She said sincerely. "You should probably get back to work before someone comes looking for you."

"Yes, I should. I'll see you for another session next time I have some free time, Sasha."

Sasha watched him leave, thinking back on what he said. Sol brushed up against her leg as he joined her. She distractedly brushed the fur between his ears before leaving the field. Her feet led her to the gardens, while she mused thoughtfully to herself. She took a seat on a bench, leaning forward and clasping her hands. Sol rested his head on her legs, watching her in concern.

"What do you think Sol? Should I join the Guard?"

* * *

Elsa sighed in annoyance. She had been working on a heaping pile of papers when Kai had ordered to take a break for at least an hour or two. She'd grudgingly agreed, briefly getting something to eat before starting her search for her sister. Unfortunately, Anna did not seem to be anywhere on the castle grounds. After a few more minutes of wandering, she had headed to the garden.

Sasha was sitting on a bench in the gardens talking to the silver wolf at her side. The sight of the wolf reminded her of the black wolf that had protected her back at the ice palace. She had a feeling there was some connection between the two. Elsa suddenly realized that Sasha wasn't just talking to the wolf, but holding a conversation with it.

"I just don't know if I should, Sol."

The wolf raised its head from Sasha's lap and tilted its head.

"Well, yes she did, but that was back home and-"

The wolf barked interrupting her. Sasha sighed quietly.

"The House has only ever served the Northern Isles nobles though."

Sol tilted his head.

"Maybe."

Elsa stepped back, deciding to leave them be. As she did the wind picked up, blowing loose strands of hair that had fallen from her bun into her face. Sol turned to look at her and Sasha tensed before turning to face her. She stood and bowed politely.

"Good afternoon, Your Majesty."

"Good afternoon, Sasha," Elsa clasped her hands in front of her as she returned the greeting. "You haven't happened to have seen Anna around have you?"

"I believe she went into town with Kristoff this morning," Sasha answered, dropping back onto the bench, this time facing Elsa. Sol leaned against her side, watching Elsa curiously. "Was there something important you needed her for?"

"Not really, I was just taking a little break and thought we could talk."

Sasha nodded her head in understanding. Sol shifted to look up at her, head tilted. Sasha looked down at the wolf before reaching down to pet him. The wolf rumbled slightly at the attention.

"I'm not much, but I'd be willing to keep you company if you want, Your Majesty."

Elsa was briefly surprised by the offer. She hadn't really talked to Sasha since the time in her office and the fire-dancer hadn't seemed very talkative. She also found it difficult to talk to the other woman when she was wearing her mask, which she always seemed to be doing. As if sensing Elsa's thoughts, Sasha pulled her mask off and set it in her lap. The mask had the way of making Sasha both intimidating and mysterious, but without it she had a rather nice face. It was partly because of this that Elsa accepted the offer and took the open seat next to her.

"Do I make you nervous?" Sasha suddenly asked nodding her head at Elsa's fiddling hands.

Elsa blushed and stilled her hands before answering, "Somewhat."

"You have no reason to be, Your Majesty," She assured.

"Elsa," Elsa corrected automatically, blushing slightly. "You can call me Elsa.'

"Well then, Elsa, you have no reason to be nervous around me, I promise I don't bite."A teasing smile follows the statement, catching Elsa off guard. "So is this break of yours voluntary or did Kai force you to take it."

"Forced," Elsa answered. "I don't have time to take a break with the amount of paperwork. My powers did a lot of damage and I still have to fix it."

"My troupe might be able to help."

"What do you mean?"

"Their powers might be able to repair some of the damage," Sasha explained.

"But you're our guests and it wouldn't be right to-"

"Then hire us as servants," Sasha interrupted and then apologized quickly. "Sorry, that was rude."

"It's fine."

"We don't have anywhere else to go and we can't be your guests forever. But we all have our talents and would be glad to use them to help out in whatever way we can."

Elsa looked down at her hands thoughtfully, considering what Sasha had said. Part of her knew that she was right, but the other thought that it was her own responsibility to fix the damage she'd done with her powers. She was the one that lost control, so she should be the one to fix it. She could feel her power building up in her palms, responding to her guilt. Sasha's hand covered hers and the natural warmth of the other girl's skin acted as a good deterrent for her powers. She still wasn't used to other people touching her and she flinched and pulled away. Sasha pulled her hand back into her lap, meeting Elsa's gaze evenly.

"I should probably warn you that I was considering joining your Guard."

"Why?"

"Why not? I have the skill for it, according to Lieutenant Thane."

After a brief silence following that statement Sasha stood and offered her another bow. "I'll leave you to your thoughts, Your Majesty. If you ever need someone to talk to, I'd be happy to listen, Elsa."

Sol gently nosed Elsa's hand before following his owner out of the garden. Elsa stared after them, watching as Sasha slid her mask back on while Sol rubbed against her leg. Sasha had definitely given her much to think about.

* * *

"You're smiling," Gertrude commented, falling into step beside Sasha.

"So."

Gertrude smiled and turned to walk backwards in front of Sasha. "Nothing, it just makes you more beautiful."

Sasha blinked in surprise as Gertrude laughed and ran off. Sol rumbled quietly, butting his head against her leg. She smiled down at him in response.

"Come on; let's go see if anyone needs help with anything."

* * *

"Jeez, this is heavy," Sasha complained.

"That's why we're moving it together," Steel replied with a gentle smile as he lifted one end of the piano.

Zane mumbled something about 'unnatural strength' as the three of them began moving the piano up the stairs. Sasha and Zane were at the top, while Steel was at the bottom. If the two of them lost their grip on the piano, the metal man would be able to avoid getting damaged by it where they could not.

"Seriously, though. There has to be a better way to get this up the stairs."

"Yeah, well it's too late now."

Sasha was about to say something else when her foot slipped on the stair and she tripped backwards. Zane gasped as he was forced to take the weight of the top section all by himself.

"Are you alright, Sasha?" Steel asked in concern, unable to see over the top of the piano.

"I'm fine," She answered, pushing herself back to her feet.

"Pay attention, next time please?" Zane requested as she grabbed the piano again.

She apologized sheepishly. They heaved the piano up the last few steps and set it on the landing, for a breather. After a few minutes, they lifted the piano again. Thankfully, they did not have to go up anymore stairs.

"Hey guys, what are you doing?"

Both Zane and Sasha flinched and almost dropped their end of the piano. They shot annoyed looks at Olaf while Steel answered for them.

"We're moving the piano out of the store room to the music room."

"Oh, that sounds like fun, can I help?"

"No!" All three exclaimed at the same time.

"Why don't you open the doors for us, Olaf," Sasha said after seeing the snowman's hurt expression.

"Oh, I can do that," He said, brightening up automatically.

Sasha told him which room was the music room and he rushed to throw open the double doors. It took a little careful maneuvering to get it through the doorway without scraping the trim and they moved to set it down in the place Kai had marked out for them.

"Oh, and Olaf. You can't tell Elsa or Anna about this."

"Tell us about what?"

This time they really did drop the piano, luckily not breaking anything. Sasha whipped around, barking her shin against the edge of the piano with a sharp yelp. Zane steadied her as they turned to face Anna. The princess was grinning with a 'you're-so-busted' face.

Olaf spoke before they could shush him. "They were moving the piano from the store room."

"So much for keeping it a secret," Zane sighed.

Sasha leaned back against the piano with a sigh. Anna smiled wider and stepped out of the way of the two servants carrying the piano bench.

"So how long have you guys been helping out around the castle?" Anna asked.

"Since Sasha was fully healed," Zane answered, while Steel fixed the piano's position, so the bench could be put down.

"So almost two months then."

Zane shrugged in response. Anna walked over to join them beside the piano, lifting the fallboard.

"It's been a while since I've seen this thing," She commented. "It was put in storage as soon as Elsa stopped playing."

"Makes sense, the cold isn't really good for pianos," Sasha said. "Although, neither is heat."

Anna glanced at her in confusion. Sasha tapped a few of the keys and frowned.

"It sounds like it needs to be tuned." She lifted the top up, to check the strings on the inside. "And it looks like some of the strings need to be replaced as well."

"You seem to know a lot about pianos," Anna said, raising an eyebrow.

"I used to play," Sasha answered without looking over at her.

"Were you any good?"

"I was okay." Sasha turned away from the piano.

Zane winced slightly, sensing her good mood plummet. Sasha had retreated back behind an emotionless mask, hiding her pain. Anna seemed to notice as well because she did not pester Sasha to play like she normally would. She dropped the fallboard back down before speaking again.

"I'm not going to say anything to Elsa," She said. "But you don't have to keep it a secret from her either."

"We'll keep that in mind," Steel said.

Anna nodded before leaving. Olaf was watching Sasha curiously, but as soon as he saw Anna leave, he rushed after her with a cheerful goodbye.

"Hey, are you okay?" Zane asked, settling a hand on Sasha's shoulder.

She shrugged it off. "I'll be fine."

The two boys watched her leave with concern. The more they heard about Sasha's past the more curious they got. Something had happened in her past and its impact had seemingly ruined everything that had to do with her childhood.

* * *

_Sasha was curled up on the window sill in her room, staring out the window at the night sky. She sighed and rested her forehead against the glass with a quiet sigh. Sol was sleeping soundly on her bed, unaware of the guilt and sadness that was eating at Sasha._

_There was a knock on the door, soft enough not to wake her if she happened to be asleep. She pushed herself up and opened the door to Kai. He handed her a scroll and left. She closed the door and leaned back against it as she unrolled the scroll. She read it twice and then smiled slightly. She set it on the nightstand and put out the lights before climbing into bed._

_Her Majesty, the Queen, graciously accepts your request to join the ranks of the Queen's Guard and requests that you meet with Captain Anders at your earliest convenience in order to start as soon as possible. Captain Anders will give you your commission and arrange for your uniform to be made._

_P.S. Good Luck, Sasha_


End file.
